Congratulations from UNC School of Law Dean Martin Brinkley '92

Congratulations on your acceptance at the University of North Carolina School of Law. I want to extend my personal welcome -- and tell you why I hope you'll join our Carolina Law family this fall.

Carolina Law is one of America's most respected law schools and a pillar of the nation's oldest public university. Our distinguished faculty includes many of the best teachers and scholars in the country. Our students, like their predecessors in Chapel Hill over the past 171 years, are leaders in the making -- as members of the private bar deeply engaged in pro bono work, public interest lawyers, judges, legislators, executive branch officials, and respected citizens of their communities. As one of our Class of 2019, you’ll immerse yourself in an intellectual community that will ground you thoroughly in the theoretical, practical and moral dimensions of joining the profession that is the foundation of freedom in our society.

My choice to enroll at Carolina Law twenty-six years ago was one of the best decisions of my life. A native North Carolinian who had gone to college outside the state, I was drawn to Chapel Hill both by the quality of the education I knew I would receive and by its affordability. I knew I would emerge from three years here well prepared to give back to the community that had nurtured me, with low student loan debt, free to blend public service with support for my family.

If you come to Carolina Law and work hard, you can go anywhere in the world. My own journey showed me just how many doors a Carolina Law degree can open. UNC allowed me to practice in a profession I love and to follow a true calling to pursue justice.

The fact that you applied to Carolina Law suggests you’ve already begun thinking of Chapel Hill as a promising launching pad for a career in the law. If you've already decided to join us this fall, we’re delighted and look forward to getting to know you. If you are still considering your options, we hope to share a number of "Closing Arguments" with you over the coming weeks that will make the case for why you should attend our great law school. If there is anything else we can do to move the scales in our favor, please do not hesitate to contact any one of us in Chapel Hill.

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